Project 2013 Introduction

Project 2013

Lesson 4 – Working with Resources

First, additional resources can be used to shorten the duration so that the task is completed in a shorter time period. However, the amount of work required to complete the task remains the same. For example, you assign two laborers to frame a garage in four days. The amount of work calculated for the resources is 64 hours [16 hours of work per day (8 hours/day per resource x 2 resources) x 4 days]. You now realize that you need to finish the job sooner. By assigning two more laborers to the task, you can change the duration to two days. The work value, however, remains at 64 hours [32 hours of work per day (8 hours/day per resource x 4 resources) x 2 days]. Second, you may want to add resources because the current resources cannot complete the task in the assigned time. The duration of a task remains the same, but you have increased the work assigned. You find that two painters assigned to paint a house in two days can only compete half the job in that time period. By adding two more painters, you complete the job in two days, but you have doubled the amount of work required. Third, you want to add more resources, but you also want to keep the duration and work the same. This is accomplished by reducing the number of hours each resource spends on the task. You assign a painter to a two day job with a total of 16 hours of work. Later you find that the painter can only work mornings on those two days. You assign a second painter so that you can complete the job in the allotted two days. Since the job only requires 16 hours of work, each painter is scheduled at 50% each day. The duration (2 days) and work (4 hours/day per resource x 2 resources x 2 days = 16 hours) remain the same.

Depending on your resource change, you may only be offered two alternative actions.

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